Friday, January 18, 2019

I do not consider myself to be a beauty guru by any means. With that said, over the past two years, I have found myself soaking up as much information about health, wellness and beauty products. I have been reading, researching and listening to podcasts, around-the-clock! Over the next few months, I will share my thoughts on a few of my favorite products. I hope that you find a new item or two to add to your lineup! If there is a product that you love that you think I should try, leave a comment below or send me a direct message on Instagram.

There is a current trend that we are going to see more of in 2019, and that's the idea of beauty from the inside out. I do believe that there is a direct correlation between what we put into our body and our appearance (hair, nails, skin and overall health). I find that when I am eating clean, my hair and nails grow faster and look healthier. One thing that has also been in my routine for years is a daily vitamin. As a kid of the '90s, Flintstones Complete Children's Multivitamin made their appearance each and every morning. I had some friends who would even beg their parents for these things, almost like candy. I can practically smell the orange and fruit punch flavors while writing this! Isn't so funny how we can take a journey back in time with something as simple that?

When I would return home from college on breaks, my nana would always send me back with a bottle of Women's One A Day. She would always make a point to ask me if I was taking them — she was worried about me. When I think about it now, it's kind of cute! After my wedding, I sort of fell of the daily vitamin train. In June 2017, I came across a new and innovative brand who was shaking stuff up! After seeing a sexy Instagram add (working in digital media marketing, I respect kick-ass creative) with a promo code, I decided to give Ritual Essential for Women a try. Since then, I have not turned back.

Let me tell you why I have incorporated Ritual into my daily routine. These see-through capsules are filled with nine essential nutrients: folate, omega-3, iron, boron, magnesium, vitamin D3, vitamin B12, vitamin E, and vitamin K2. I keep my jar on my nightstand and take two each night before bed. You don't have to worry about them upsetting your stomach, because of the no-nausea capsule design. This brand is vegan-friendly, gluten and allergen free, non-GMO and has no colorants or synthetic fillers! They are open and honest with everything on their website, they give you a lot of information for you to make the best choice for you. If you are serious about taking two each day, you will see results in as little as three months. If you are a mom-to-be, there is also something for you! Last October, they released an essential prenatal vitamin. Whatever stage of life you are in, there are things that we can do to help us keep our body healthy and happy.

If you are interested in trying Ritual for yourself, use this link to sign up, and you will receive $5. When you sign up, I will get $5 off of my next bottle! Hey, every little bit helps, right?

I have never been one to make a New Year's resolution. For some reason, it always seemed somewhat intimidating. I know myself well enough that I need to look at goal setting a different way rather than making a year-long commitment. For 2019, I am going to try something different. I am going to pick a word of the year. Instagram served as an inspiration, there were so many women talking about going through the process of finding their word or phrase. Over the past few days, I have been meditating and praying for a word to appear to me. There was one word that kept popping up.

Determination.

The determination to make my marriage a priority. Jered and I have been married for a little over five and a half years. Even with us not having children, it can be hard for us to juggle everything. I am going to be more intentional when we are spending time together. Between working in the digital media sector and blogging, I find myself always being on my phone, checking up on things. I need to do better and find ways to unplug and focus on connecting in-person.

The determination to take 15 Pure Barre classes each month. Pure Barre Edmond is kicking off something new today. The Black Belt Challenge is a 12-month challenge, where you take 15 classes per month. In the past year, there have been some months that I completed less than 15 in-studio workouts. However, I know change is best met with consistency. I am going to push myself to make this happen! I can't wait to see how my body gets stronger during this process.

The determination to give my best each day at work. I am a very competitive person, it has always shown up in my Strengths Quest insight report. I will be the first to say that this word often seems to have a pretty negative connotation. Here is how I see it: I treat each day like a livestock show/football game/band or cheerleading competition (pick whichever you can relate to). I try and leave it all on the field, giving it everything I had. After the holiday break, I am feeling renewed and refreshed. I am ready to get back and do big things in 2019!

I am determined to find the extraordinary in everyday moments, not just while traveling. When we were in Paris in October, I found myself looking at everything with awe and wonder. From the architecture to the wine lists, the street style, and bakery windows, I was noticing beauty in everyday things. Each day, I want to take a moment to appreciate the things around me. I know that there are beautiful things here in Oklahoma.

I want to hear from you! Are you making resolutions, picking a word or doing something different? I am here for you if you need encouragement!

Friday, December 21, 2018

You might not know this, but I am a sucker for loyalty and reward programs. I have a carrying case dedicated to all of my cards in my purse. I am almost embarrassed about how many cards I have when I whip one out at my favorite coffee shop. But hey, I love getting free stuff! One of my favorite perks to take advantage of each year is the Anthro Loyalty. If you are not a member, you can join online or in store. Take my word; it's worth it! In early November, I happened to pop into my local Oklahoma City store to check things out. This is one of the stores I love searching for inspiration, even if I don't purchase anything. When I saw this skirt on display, I knew it was meant for me. It is colorful, cheerful and gives off a retro vibe of sorts. I must say, I am glad I had the chance to see it in store versus ordering online. It did run small, so I had to go one size up. Next time you purchase something in your size, and it doesn't fit, don't be alarmed. Sizes of garments vary from brand to brand and style to style. Don't be discouraged!

Working retail throughout college gave me a certain empathy for sales associates. I go out of my way to be kind to them. I also always take the items with me out of the dressing room, on hangers, to the associate helping me. Heck, sometimes I even take them back out on the floor if they are okay with it. I knew that I missed my birthday month discount (by a few days). However, I really wanted this skirt, and it was full price. I went out on a limb explaining my situation and asked if there was any way they could find some wiggle room for me (you never know until you try). To my surprise, they were able to give me the birthday discount! I was so appreciative and thankful they did that for me.

One of my favorite months each year for putting together outfits has to be December. This month is filled with festive parties, get-togethers, and celebrations! It is a time where you can be bold with patterns, texture, and prints. December is a time to break out the red, green, plaids and sequins (if you are into that sort of thing). I don't want anything to feel like a costume, but I do like to play into the theme of this time of year. When I was working on styling this particular outfit, I tried numerous different necklaces before I landed on this one. Looking at it alone, you would think it was an odd choice. However, after I pulled it all together, I knew it was the finishing touch to tie together the colors in the skirt and the glittery shoes.

Whichever occasion you are dressing for this holiday season, I hope that you can find joy during this time. Here's to wishing your holiday is filled with love. I hope you get the chance to celebrate with family and friends — I know I look forward to doing that starting this weekend!

This post is something that has been a long time coming. Six months ago, I embarked on a journey. In June, I decided to let my hair do its thing. You see, I started going grey at 22. At that time, it was not a big deal. There were just a few hairs here and there. My hairdresser (and friend, Jordan) and I decided we could manage it with semi-permanent hair color and cut appointments every six weeks. Until about a year ago, that was working fine. My hair has always been pretty healthy (minus the time I pretended to be blonde in college for a hot second) and grows like a weed. I honestly could color it every four weeks due to root growth alone. It just got to a point where it was unrealistic — I cannot spend that much time in a salon chair. I do not feel like that many hours in the salon chair is a good use of my time.

Here is the deal, you don't get an award for coloring your hair, and you sure do not get an anything special for embracing your natural color. It is just hair! If I get to a point and I do not like where I am at, I can change it. Since June, we haven't done a thing other than a cut and a trim. Most of the feedback has been positive. I found the first four months to be the hardest. Random people have made comments to me while grocery shopping, mostly thinking I highlighted it grey to be trendy and cool. Most of them are older men and women joking ‘look honey, she paid money to look like me.’ I politely inform them that this is my natural color and I am embracing it with open arms. It gets a little awkward sometimes, but I try to change the conversation and make them feel comfortable.

If you are considering going grey with grace, I want to extend my support to you! You will have some people in your life that don't understand your decision, and that's okay. All that matters is that you are happy with who you are! There is an inspiring community on Instagram that I have been leaning into. Grombre, going grey with (grohm)(bray), is a radical celebration of the natural phenomenon of grey hair. They spotlight different women and their self-love stories. I am telling you, this is one of the things that has given me permission to love my new normal. I must say, my husband has been supportive of this 100%. I told him I was considering it in May and he said go for it! He has the same thought; I could always go back to being a brunette if I wanted. Growing older, we are faced with decisions about how we want to handle the aging process, choose whatever makes you happy.